Originally Posted by GrammaBabs
I do not want people to think i'm a wet blanket for writing this... but PLEASE be sure that if you buy fabric, blankets, clothing and especially furniture at yard slaes or estate sales....you WASH and dry in very high heat all of the fabric items... as for the furniture, i'm not sure... My reason being........... my SIS... who has gotten some fantastic fabric and other items this way.... purchased a beautiful, not too used looking chair at a very nice consignment shop... after a few months... she found "bed type bugs".... she has had to have a total fummigation TWICE... this was a ton of work for someone with a disability... next week they are going to "HEAT" her house to about 160degrees, to be sure they are gone....this means finding a place for her birds to go as well..... This has been a nightmare... they took her bed (they had gotten into the frame)and cut up and disposed of her chair that she loved.... they came in via. the chair...She's been told they like to hid in the folds of fabrics and are horrible to get rid of once they enter your home...I Love seeing all the great bargins of fabric and figure that lots of "our children" (mine will be some)... are left with the collections of their parents... and we never know just where this stuff was kept or how long it was around.... so... Just be careful,,, the washing is a given, i'm sure, but the "hot" drying, might be a good idea... regardless of the shrinkage issue.... hope this is taken as a helpful suggestion.... My Sis is without a bed and chair until she can afford one...we "skyped" last night and she was crying and saying she's never had much, but she never really felt as poor and ashamed as she does now... people are even treating her differently.. she is a person that does so much for others and it's so unfair ...............
It IS unfair! Before she pays for the heat treatment she may want to reconsider. It has not been proven effective. There are many companies jumping in to try to take advantage.
Bed bugs live for six months without feeding. They can be frozen or heated out, but it is not usually similar to spraying for bugs.
They do like to hide in folds, and often are found at the top of the mattress because they like the humidity of your head lying there.
So they are on the wall above your head and drop in.
From what I've read it takes at least five days of constant heat or freeze.
I am trying to remember where I saw a recent article about this issue, but cannot. I found this:
http://www.ipmctoc.umn.edu/Traveller...ng_bedbugs.pdf
Items that cannot be washed may be heated or frozen. Currently, research is being conducted to
determine the most effective thermal conditions for killing bed bugs, while not damaging materials.
However, based on related research, a two hour core exposure at 120oF (45oC) should be
considered a minimum target temperature for heat treatments. For freezing, a minimum of 23oF (-
5oC) must be maintained for at least 5 days. As the temperature is decreased, the time of
exposure is shortened. For instance, the articles could be “flash frozen” resulting in a very short
time of exposure, but the target temperature should be -15oF ( -26oC) - the conditions required to
instantly freeze the eggs. Keep in mind that most non-commercial freezers will have varying
temperatures between 30oF and 20oF, and a 2 week freeze time is recommended if you are
uncertain of the freezer temperatures.
Just to re-iterate, if heating or freezing conditions are used, remember that these adverse
conditions must reach the core of the articles being treated.